Florida’s Citizens Travel Costs Under Scrutiny

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is calling on the top official of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance to explain why the insurer has deviated from its limitations on overseas travel.

A review of the officials’ expenses revealed that recently-named Board of Governor’s Chair Chris Garner was reimbursed $140 more than Citizens’ guidelines allowed. Gardner repaid the overage, but that was not enough for Scott, who pressured Citizens to change its travel policies after a report in 2012 criticized overseas spending by top officials. Then newly-named Citizens President Barry Gilway imposed strict guidelines on travel at that time.

Karl Rasmussen, Scott’s director of Cabinet Affairs, in a letter to Gilway, requested that he appear at an August 19 Cabinet meeting to explain the international travel.

Citizens spokesperson Michael Peltier said the trips to Boston, London, New York, Zurich and Bermuda were necessary to secure an historic $3.1 billion risk transfer program for the 2014 hurricane season. He said Citizens has a new board chair, a new chief financial officer, and a new chief risk officer. “As new personnel, President Gilway felt it was necessary to meet face-to-face with the companies that Citizens does substantial business with,” said Peltier.